The present invention relates to a solid-state flat panel display device intended as a replacement for conventional cathode ray display tubes. The low cost and versatility of the cathode ray display tube has kept it as the mainstay for information display purposes. A variety of alternatives including gas discharge panels, light valve displays, and liquid crystal devices have been employed for specialized applications.
It has been apparent for some time that a solid-state flat panel display is conceptually achievable. Efforts to utilize silicon technology to this end are limited by the size limitation problems of the silicon wafer, which negates achievement of large area displays.
A recent revitalization of thin film transistor technology toward this end is evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,695. The thin film transistor is vacuum deposited upon a substrate and the only limitation on panel size is the size of the vacuum deposition system.
A problem in designing a thin film transistor addressed and controlled display panel is achieving dense packing of thin film circuitry and display medium while making the requisite electrical connections and providing electrical isolation between portions of the circuitry and the display medium.